An Ode to Barbecue

This weekend was gorgeous...downright amazing! It started on Saturday with a trip to the good old Alma mater, F&M, for Spring Arts Weekend. It was a lot of fun, not nearly as crazy as when we were students (picture the entire campus out for drunken debauchery), but still a good time nevertheless. We then travelled to Intercourse for some reminiscing among the Horse and Buggies. After we got back, we played mini-golf and ate a yummy meal of Artichoke/Smoked Moz Ravioli, leftover eggplant parm and red sauce with meatballs and lamb sausage. YUMMMMMMM!!!

Yesterday was filled with gardening at Carolyn & John's house (my muscles hurt today after many hours of wrestling with stumps, ivy and shrubs). But...coming to the title of this blog....John brought over his parent's grill and we had the first REAL barbecue of the season. We ate some veggie burgers for lunch (all we had), but went and got some dogs and burgers for dinner. With some red potatoes, carrots and baked beans (the last item was not grilled), we made quite the meal of it. I didn't have my camera with me, but it looked something like this:


Man, I love barbecue. There is just something about cooking a meal outside on the grill that makes whatever you are eating better. And its so versatile...you can pretty much put anything on there. Every time I think that maybe I should become a vegetarian I immediately shout at myself (usually internally)..."WHAT ABOUT BBQ????" - Sorry Al, but whether its hot dogs or actual southern ribs, I can't give it up. Burgers...eh, a veggie burger can satisfy my appetite for those, but not hot dogs. Maybe I've just had poor quality veggie dogs, but those things are no match for a real all beef wiener.

There was an interesting conversation last night, which was interesting, because it is often something I struggle with. When faced with this dilemma, what do you do (feel free to comment)?

Situation:
You are at a barbecue. You get a hot dog and a hamburger. Which do you eat first? Or do you eat half of one and then half of the other?

My Internal Debate:
I love hot dogs, LOVE them. But a burger is definitely good too. So, do I 1)Eat the hot dog first, because it is sitting there mocking from my plate - "eat me, eat me...I am so delicious" or 2) Eat the burger first, so I can save my hot dog for last.

Result:
Ultimately, I eat the hot dog first, because there are some things that just can't wait. Including a freshly grilled hot dog with some ketchup, mustard and relish.


On a side note, as I searched for a perfect pic of a grilled hot dog (and after 40 pages of Google images, there were none, so I picked the above) I think I was drooling...

Anyway, there are many more BBQs to come this summer, we're just getting started. Maybe next time I will take some real pics. And to end with my "Ode" - which is actually a limerick:

Oh, barbecue, I love you,
A delicious, wonderful food.
Burgers and hot dogs,
Even some grilled frogs,
If I didn't eat you, I'd be in a foul mood.

Close enough, eh?

Not-yo average Mac N Cheese

I love being vegan b/c I love healthy food and I love love cooking. That being said, every once in awhile, I, like anyone else, really need some down-home comfort food.

Mac 'n' Cheese is, of course, America's penultimate comfort food. I don't know if you've ever tried out of the box, dairy free "macncheez," but the stuff is foul. It's fake food and tastes like it. I'd basically given up on my search for vegan mac n cheese, content with my barrage of other happy, heart healthy foods, when lo and behold, my many friends and relatives with dairy, cholesterol, or other health issues started asking: "Hey, got a dairy free mac n cheese recipe?"

The recipe below is one that I'm still in the process of tweaking. It's super nacho-cheesey and I'll warn you, the stuff is really really rich. But it's also fun to make--and, even better, low-fat, high protein, cholesterol free, and full of B12 vitamins (which everyone, especially veggie folk, needs).

The recipe below will take you about 15 minutes to make if you're low tech like me, but only about 7 total if you've got a blender handy (toss everything in, blend, then put on the stove). The cheesiness will depend on how much pasta you feel like using with your cheese sauce. For a first run, I recommend using about half a pound.

On to the recipe:

-*Disclaimer*-
All pictures taken with my low-fi, grainy camera phone as the digital is "in the shop." (The "shop" being my book shelf where the battery has somehow disappeared). All objects are gooier and brighter than they appear.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb cooked pasta--I recommend shells

Not-yo average cheese:
2 cups water
3/4 cup nutritional yeast (NOT active dry yeast or bread yeast)
1/4 cup raw cashew pieces (i'm working on a nut free version)
1 tablespoon + 1 1/2 teaspoons spanish paprika
2 tablespoons arrow root
1 1/2-2 teaspoons garlic salt (depending on taste)
lemon juice (I use about 1/3 of a lemon and just squeeze the life out of it)
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 level teaspoon cumin





Before we go any further--let me just add, that another amazing thing about this recipe is that it's cheap--I bought all the ingredients you see above in the bulk spices section at my local coop market and they cost less than $5 all together!!

Ok, here's the fun part (if you're not going the blender route)

Use a big huge knife and something heavy (I favor coffee mugs myself) to smash the living heck out of the cashews. You'll want to get them to a powder if you can. A great task to relegate to little kids and/or males.



see how fun this is?

Once your cashews are set, toss everything into a saucepan and whisk or mix it. Mix it good. Turn on your burner to med-high heat, and keep on whisking. Your sauce will start to get really thick and gooey after about five minutes (if you've been whisking for about 7 minutes or so and it doesn't seem to be getting there just add a little more arrow root).


Mmmmm, gooeyness...

Once your Not-yo average cheez is ready, just dump right over your pasta. (This is optional but I like to toss a tablespoon of non-hydrogenated margarine in with the pasta and toss right before this). Voila! Your No-yo average MacNCheez is done.


Variations: to make Not-yo average spicy taco dip, swap out the paprika for 1/4 cup roasted red peppers and one small can diced green chiles. Prepare the same way (mixin' the heck out of it and putting on the stove), then pour over some hot refried beans. Top with fresh tomatoes, shredded lettuce, olives, and guac.

Vegan Eggplant “Parm” - Alli

Basically you can follow Georgia’s recipe for this one (only it will be messier). Instead of eggs just go ahead and use a couple tablespoons of olive oil. (I also usually skip the flour, opting to get the eggplant sautéed—not too brown) first.

In place of the cheese use the following recipe for tofu mash or soy ricotta—whatever you want to call it. This is partly adapted from VwV and partly from the boyfriend’s former job as a vegan pizza chef. Your eggplant parm will be messier than G’s recipe and you’ll want to keep an eye on this as it cooks—you’ll notice though that the tofu cheese will get a nice goldy color to it as it cooks.

This stuff is amazing—I make it for non-vegans all the time—it’s actually an oft-requested item when I go home. Toss it in pasta or top pizza with it—it’s perfect.

Soy Ricotta Tofu Mash:

1 block firm tofu, drained

Handful (about ten) basil leaves—chopped finely

Juice of half lemon

2 Tbsp olive oil

Pinches of salt and pepper

3 garlic cloves (or two if you’re picky)

Tsp tarragon (optional but awesome)

Tsp oregano (or Italian seasonings if you don’t have the straight stuff)

After you’ve drained the tofu, toss in a bowl and crumble (you’ll want to toss some ziplock bags over your hands and put them to work). Once you’ve got some nice little crumblies going add the lemon and all of the spices (but not the olive oil yet). Keep using your hands and go a little crazier mashing the whole thing up. Take the gloves off your hands (switch to “fork”). Toss in the olive oil and mix, coating well. Use the fork to get things nice and fluffy. About this time I like to give it a little taste to see how you feel about the spices (Rob, the boyfriend, always likes to “play chef” at this point). Give it one last stir, cover, and toss in the fridge for at least twenty minutes (this is kind of optional but I think makes a big difference when it comes time to cook—Rob likes to make a huge batch and let it sit overnight before cooking with it).

Who loves eggplant? MEEEEEE!!!!

Recipe Courtesy of: My Mom

Eggplant Parm is a dish that I grew up on. My mother is 1/2 Italian, so inherited some damn good cooking skills. It is one of the meals that had a memorable presence at many holidays and birthdays. We have a tradition in my family (although not as well respected now that we no longer live under the same roof) that the birthday girl/boy gets whatever favorite meal they want for their birthday dinner. There was the usual pattern: Dad - Steak and Kidney Pie (I know, I know, some of you probably think that is GROSS, but actually pretty good - although not usually served due to heart consciousness), Sarah - Stuffed Shells, Lana - Lasagna and me - Eggplant Parm! Notice a slight Italian influence? Anyway, eggplant parm is a dish that everyone loves, so now makes appearances at other more notable holidays - Christmas, Easter, whenever we all get together and beg our mom to make it.

It is a dish that I have taken with me down to Pennsylvania and one that will always end up on the dinner/lunch/breakfast/snack table. It does take a little work, but is definitely worth it (my friends can vouch for this I hope) and makes great leftovers. You can use store bought sauce if you dare such blasphemy, but I always make a big pot of homemade spaghetti sauce to use for such amazing meals. Below is the recipe that I have stolen from my mom and but my own stamp on:

Eggplant Parmesan

Ingredients:

(makes about one 9" x 13" pan)

2 Medium Eggplants (about 2 pounds)
16 oz block of Mozzarella Cheese (this last time I made it, I used fresh moz, but I think actually processed is better for this dish - aka Polly-O)
3 cups tomato sauce (like I said, I use homemade spaghetti sauce, but any GOOD store bought is OK, I guess)
1 cup Flour
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons Milk
Salt & Pepper
Olive Oil


Cooking Directions:

1. Peel and slice eggplants. The slices should be about the width of your pinkie. The thicker they are, the longer they will take to cook. Also, slice cheese and set aside.

2. In a bowl, lightly beat the two eggs and milk with a fork, like you are preparing scrambled eggs. In a separate bowl, add about a cup of flour. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat about half an inch of olive oil (my mom always used vegetable oil, but I like olive oil - its slightly more expensive to fry with though) in a frying pan on Medium to Medium High. To test if the oil is ready, drop in a small piece of the eggplant skin. If it bubbles, it is ready. Remember to lay down some paper towels to de-grease the cooked eggplant.

3. Coat the eggplant in flour (make sure to shake off excess flour), then the egg, gently place in pan. Put as many into the pan as can fit comfortably. After about 30 seconds or when brown, flip over and cook the other side until brown. Remove and set on paper towel to soak up extra oil. This is not an exact science, use your best judgement on the cook time and oil temp. The oil should never start smoking, it is too hot. You may need to add more oil to the pan.


4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When eggplant is cooked, coat the bottom of a 9" x 13" baking pan with about 4 tablespoons of sauce. Layer slices of eggplant in pan. Put a piece of cheese on each piece of eggplant. Spoon sauce over each slice.

5. Put another layer of eggplant down. Spoon sauce over each one, and add a slice of cheese.


6. Put into oven to cook for approximately 45 minutes. You will know when it is done, because the cheese will start to bubble and slightly brown.

Serve over pasta - a personal favorite of mine is orzo.

This meal is a great one to make for a "dinner party" it is very easy to double and a great crowd pleaser. Plus, it is an excellent leftover food. It tends to get better after a day or two in the fridge, so the flavors meld together. I just put some in the freezer, so we'll see if it is also good de-frosted (I think it will be). Once you start making this dish, it will be hard to erase from your repertoire, people are sure to ask for it over and over again. Unless, you don't like eggplant, then you are just dumb!

Sunflower Seed Orange Bread - Yummmmmmm...

Recipe Courtesy of: What Did You Eat?

My mom was a hippie in her youth and lived in a rural community to boot. So, growing up, she taught me the virtues of making things from scratch and putting a lot of love in your food. So, it was only natural that I became somewhat of a foodie. I love to cook. And now that I work at home, if I have some spare time, you can usually find me somewhere near the kitchen. For Easter, I made a Rosemary Walnut bread to take to my friend Carolyn's house. It was delicious and sent me on a "mmm...bread" kick. (My mom's favorite bread to make was Oatmeal Molasses, so I have made that a few times, but never really experimented too much.)

However, newly revived from my Easter breadery, I decided to try some new things. I have a whole big bag of sunflower seeds in my kitchen so decided to search for a bread recipe with said seeds. I found the above link and thought I would give it a try. Below is my adapted recipe:

Sunflower Seed Orange Bread

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
3 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (you can eyeball it)
1/2 cup milk
2 tablespoons sunflower oil (you can get in any Whole Foods like store and is a great oil to cook with)
1 egg
1 tablespoon grated orange peel (I used the zest of one Sunkist naval orange)
1/2 cup orange juice
2/3 cup Sunflower Kernels

Cooking Directions:

1. In bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour, the dry yeast, sugar and salt.

2. Heat milk and margarine to 115 F (40 seconds in microwave) and put in a bowl. Add flour mixture to the milk. Add egg, orange peel and juice. Beat by hand or in a mixer at low speed 1-1/2 minutes; beat at high speed 3 minutes. ( I was sort of skeptical about the yeast rising, but it worked like a charm)

3. Stir in sunflower kernels by hand and add enough flour to make a soft dough (I used about 3-1/2 cups flour in total, but I think it would have been better with a little less).


4. Knead 10-12 minutes until the dough looks firm and smooth. Shape into a ball. Put about 1 Tablespoon of sunflower oil in a bowl, put the dough into the bowl, then turn the oiled side up. Cover bowl with heavy cloth. Let rise until doubled (Bread likes to rise in humid warm environments, which trust me, my kitchen is not. I made this funny contraption - seen below - where I set a big pot of water on the stove on low, so it is steaming, then but the bread above it. It works great)


5. Punch down and let rest 5 minutes. Shape into loaf and place in greased 8.5"x4.5"x2.5" loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk. You can brush the top of the loaf with 1 egg beaten with 1 Tablespoon water. I did not.


6. Bake at 375 F for 40 minutes (unlike my kitchen, my oven is super hot - like 75 - 100 degrees hot, so I got an oven thermometer). Let cool on a rack after removing from pan and dig in.


I really liked this bread. Fresh from the oven, it was amazing. Soft, but with a crunch from the sunflower seeds and orange zest. It is not overwhelmingly orangy, but has just enough flavor to make you think. I especially liked using the sunflower oil, because it gave the crust a very light flaky taste. I made this bread to go with dinner, but it would be excellent for breakfast. A little butter, maybe some orange marmalade if you are daring (or like orange marmalade, which I don't). Either way, it turned out just the way I wanted. If you are not a big fan of sunflower seeds, which is silly, I think walnuts would also be very tasty. The one thing I did not like about this recipe was that it only made one loaf. This can be easily remedied. A tip, before eating the next day, microwave for 10 seconds, it will warm/soften right up.